Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park covers 739 square kilometres of rainforest in Surat Thani Province, located between the tourist coasts of Khao Lak and Koh Samui. Geologically, this is one of the world's oldest rainforests — scientists estimate the forest is approximately 160 million years old, predating the Amazon. At its heart is Cheow Lan Lake (also called Rajjaprabha Reservoir), an 185-square-kilometre lake created in 1982 when a dam was built on the Pasak River, flooding the valley and creating an inland seascape of turquoise water surrounded by limestone karst towers draped in jungle. Floating raft-house accommodation built from bamboo and timber sits at the base of these cliffs, reachable only by longtail boat from the dam pier at Ban Huay Pha village. Guests who stay overnight in the floating bungalows wake to mist rising from the lake at dawn and have access to guided kayaking, cave exploration, and jungle walks in the morning before day-trippers arrive. The park's lowland forest section, accessible from Khao Sok village on Route 401, contains more than 300 bird species, Asian elephants, leopards, sun bears, and — at the right time of year — the Rafflesia kerrii, the world's largest parasitic flower, which blooms unpredictably for only a few days at a time. Night jungle walks reveal nocturnal animals including civets, slow lorises, and giant flying squirrels. The park entrance lies about 50 kilometres east of Khao Lak and 190 kilometres from Phuket.